Over 49 things to see and do in San Francisco

Tim Griffith / California Academy of Sciences

These people put a buzz in biology. On NightLife Thursday nights, the museum goes adults-only, with thumping music, crazy lights, multiple bars and table tennis. (Who knew that Berlin-style table tennis was such a big thing in the city?) You'll likely find a DJ or live band in the building's central dining area, near an exhibition of California ground squirrels. Sometimes there are spiked snow cones. Tickets are usually $12 for nonmembers. The party goes 6 to 10 p.m. Then you'll need to find another. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park; (415) 379-8000, http://www.calacademy.org.

These people put a buzz in biology. On NightLife Thursday nights, the museum goes adults-only, with thumping music, crazy lights, multiple bars and table tennis. (Who knew that Berlin-style table tennis was such a big thing in the city?) You'll likely find a DJ or live band in the building's central dining area, near an exhibition of California ground squirrels. Sometimes there are spiked snow cones. Tickets are usually $12 for nonmembers. The party goes 6 to 10 p.m. Then you'll need to find another. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park; (415) 379-8000, http://www.calacademy.org. (Tim Griffith / California Academy of Sciences)

Aside from the bison roaming nearby, these fly-casting practice ponds might be the most surprising and alluring park attraction in America. The casting pools draw world championships and expert anglers from the members-only lodge nearby. But the facility is also open to the public at no charge. Free lessons (and lunch) on the second Saturday of each month, starting at 9:30 a.m. In the heart of Golden Gate Park; http://www.ggacc.org.

Aside from the bison roaming nearby, these fly-casting practice ponds might be the most surprising and alluring park attraction in America. The casting pools draw world championships and expert anglers from the members-only lodge nearby. But the facility is also open to the public at no charge. Free lessons (and lunch) on the second Saturday of each month, starting at 9:30 a.m. In the heart of Golden Gate Park; http://www.ggacc.org. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

For a small city (about 7 miles by 7 miles), San Francisco changes fast, especially the restaurants. If your itinerary is dominated by reassuring old favorites (Union Square, again! City Lights books, again!), you may be missing a lot. To remedy that, six of us fanned out across the 49 square miles in late fall and early winter, using public transportation -- bus and BART -- and scoped out 49 listings of sweet spots in the city that are new, newly transformed or just underappreciated. (Of course, we ended up with more than 49.)